Tbilisi conservatoire concert to mark Georgia-Japan diplomatic anniversary

Musical artists from Georgia and Japan will team up for a Tbilisi State Conservatoire performance hosted to celebrate an anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries this Saturday.

In the Grand Hall of the venue, six Japanese performers of the After Hours Session band will join musicians of the Georgian Sinfonietta and Georgian conductor and violinist George Babuadze.

The featured artists will showcase works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Franz Ignaz Danzi in a two-part concert to mark 25 years of relations between Georgia and Japan.

Performers of After Hours Session photographed with Babuadze (R). Photo: After Hours Session.

The invited performers of After Hours Session include flutist Keiko Ueda and oboist Yasuo Oshima alongside Hiroki Matsubara on clarinet, Yu Sekomune on horn, Hajime Shuto on bassoon and Yasuko Ukon on piano.

They will join Japan-based Georgian conductor and violin teacher Babuadze, who was invited by Georgian Sinfonietta for a concert at the National Parliamentary Library of Georgia this week.

Born in Tbilisi, Babuadze studied at the capital city’s Music School No. 3 and the Tbilisi State Conservatoire, graduating from the latter in 1985.

He worked as concertmaster and teacher at the Conservatoire and led the orchestra of the Batumi State Opera Theatre as conductor.

Babuadze joined the Orchestra Guido Cantelli in Milan, Italy as violinist from 1996-2001 before moving to Japan.

The Georgian Sinfonietta were conducted by Babuadze in a Tbilisi concert last year. Photo: Georgian Sinfonietta.

He has worked as concertmaster of the Osaka Symphony Orchestra and the Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra since 2001 while also teaching violin at the Tokyo University of the Arts.

The Tbilisi-based Georgian Sinfonietta was founded in 2008. The orchestra has performed at venues including the Chamber Hall of the Tbilisi State Conservatoire, the Konzerthaus Berlin and the Munich High School of Music and Theatre in Germany.

The band has also appeared at events including the Tbilisi Wind Festival and Tbilisi Chamber Music Festival.

In addition, the orchestra is the founder of the Tbilisi Baroque Festival, the first ever baroque music festival in the Caucasus.